Public invited to accreditation open forums

The community is invited to attend open forums being held October 1 and 2 at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges to learn more about the administration of the colleges, the programs and goals of the respective schools, and to provide feedback about the needs of the community.

At Grossmont College, the forums will be held from 10-11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1 and from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2. Both forums will be held in the 2nd floor lobby of Building 34, the Health and Sciences Center.

At Cuyamaca College, the forums will be held from 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1 and on Wednesday, October 2 from 11 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will be held in I-207 on the second floor of the Student Center.

The forums are being held as part of site visits September 30 through October 3 by a team of peers who will make a recommendation to the Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) on reaffirmation of the colleges’ accreditation. The commission is expected to determine the colleges’ reaccreditation at its January meeting.

“The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Governing Board and administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community supporters at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges have worked hard to ensure that the colleges are maximizing opportunities for all of our students to be successful in achieving their academic and personal goals,” said District Chancellor Cindy L. Miles. “We are proud of the colleges and the work that is being done to continuously improve and meet the ACCJC standards of good practice.”

The purpose of accreditation is to assure students and the community that institutions of higher education maintain a high level of quality and support continuous improvement. In order to be accredited, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges participate in a multi-tiered process designed to help the colleges assess and improve their overall effectiveness. As accredited institutions, Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges are able to administer federal financial aid programs and credits earned at the colleges can be transferred to other institutions of higher education.